News

Cameron accuses Davis of being fake moderniser

DAVID CAMERON today stakes his claim to the centre ground in the Tory leadership race by accusing David Davis, his rival, of faking his pitch to be a moderniser. “Like Coca-Cola, get the real thing,” said Cameron.

The shadow education secretary, who launched his campaign on the same day as Davis last week, suggested that his fellow challenger had “tailored his message”, abandoning his right-wing image in a cynical attempt to sweep up votes.

The comments come as Conservative activists head to Blackpool today for their annual conference to begin the process of choosing a leader to replace Michael Howard. All the candidates will be pitching for the grassroots members’ votes.

Davis, who has always been considered a right-wing candidate, appeared to change tack last week by echoing Tony Blair when he said his aim was “opportunity for the many and not just the privileged few”.